Lock Screen Widgets in Steply: Your Step Count Always One Glance Away
Before iOS 16, seeing your step count required unlocking your iPhone and opening an app. Now, Steply's lock screen widgets put that number right on your lock screen — visible the moment you raise your phone. It's a tiny change with a surprisingly large impact on how often you check your progress throughout the day.
Lock Screen Widget Types
iOS lock screen widgets come in two forms: circular (inline) and rectangular. Steply offers both, each displaying different data at a glance. The placement on the lock screen is divided into zones — a single date/time area at the top, and a row of up to four smaller widget slots below the clock. Steply's widgets are designed for both zones.
Circular Widget
Step count + ring
Shows your current step count with a compact progress arc. Perfect for the lower widget row below the clock.
Rectangular Widget
Steps + distance
A wider format showing both your step count and distance walked. Fits in the upper inline zone.
Goal Progress
% of daily target
Displays your progress toward your daily goal as a percentage or progress bar. Motivating at a glance.
How to Add Steply to Your Lock Screen
Lock Screen Widget Setup (iOS 16+)
- •Long-press on your iPhone lock screen until the 'Customise' button appears
- •Tap 'Customise', then tap the lock screen face
- •Tap the widget area below the clock (or the inline area above it)
- •Scroll to find Steply in the widget picker
- •Select your preferred Steply widget and tap to add
- •Tap 'Done' in the top right and then tap your wallpaper to exit
Why Lock Screen Widgets Change Your Behavior
The average iPhone user checks their phone 80–100 times per day. With a Steply lock screen widget, every single one of those checks becomes a passive step-count check. You don't have to remember to check your progress — you can't avoid seeing it. This constant low-friction awareness creates a feedback loop: when you see a low number at 2pm, you naturally look for opportunities to add steps. When you see you're close to your goal at 8pm, you're motivated to finish strong.
Lock Screen vs. Home Screen Widgets: When to Use Each
- ✓Lock screen widget: best for passive daily awareness — you see it constantly without trying
- ✓Home screen small widget: best for quick-access checking when you want more detail
- ✓Home screen medium/large widget: best for a dedicated fitness home screen page
- ✓Use both: lock screen for frequency, home screen for depth
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